Constructing Profits Blog

Building Apprenticeships and why they are needed

2011-09-14T16:33:00.000+10:00

I was listening to the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) early this morning and was horrified to learn what the speaker/interviewee (sorry...can't remember his name. Hey, it was just after 4am!) and they were discussing the state of skilled workers in Australia.

Did you know, that the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) classify anyone who works for 1 hour per week (yes, 1 hour...that's not a typo!) is classified as employed? Isn't that disgusting! One hour...

Based on this knowledge, can you even guess at how many Australians should probably be on the unemployed list because they sure as heck aren't earning enough money to live on no matter how hard they try!

In fairness to Australia and the ABS, this is now the world standard for measuring economic unemployment figures around the world. This is how the financial analysts and financial controllers classify populations and economic data. Beggars the question really doesn't it, just how many people in our western societies are really gainfully employed? No wonder our credit debts are so high and out of control!

The one thing he did say would be a good idea to manage the 'supposed' skill shortage here in Australia that I agreed with him on was to re-instate apprenticeships back into our public works offices.

Apprenticeships are best served by a young population who don't yet have the responsibilities and costs of providing for a family. But as things stand right now, many of the apprenticeships are going to older recipients because they are seen as being more stable and have acquired life skills. As an employer, if you are going to train someone from the get-go and have a choice of no knowledge or some knowledge, I know which one I would prefer. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that choice.

Building apprenticeships are needed right across the country and it makes more sense for more dollars if they can access the training early.

Construction Contractors and Financial Crises Don’t Play Well Together

2011-08-09T17:29:00.000+10:00

When a financial crisis hits the country it doesn’t play well with the building industry. Already in 2011 we see the statistics are down and the future isn’t looking too bright for everyone and not just the building industry. So how can a contractor protect their small business from this disaster brought about by lack of Government oversight and financial mismanagement?

Things You Can Do:

I have been spruiking on for some time now about diversification. If you put all your eggs into one basket and fall over, then all those eggs are either broken or cracked. Everyone knows that cracked eggs don’t last and if they are broken, well, good luck on trying to put something back into something that has already broken.

Once something has broken, it is never the same again. Sure, you can mend and reuse, but it still has a built in weakness.

The same goes for small contracting businesses that get damaged during financial crises. Once they have broken the business system they are never quite the same again. Project builders go broke, Architects leave town and there is simply no money made available for new homes. People can’t get financing any more to build new homes.

So, its way past time to start diversification of ways to find work before the brown stuff really hits the fan.

One of the first things a contracting business can do is to keep in touch with all existing work orders and previous clients who may still be able to offer them some work. This work is likely to be more ‘little jobs’ than bigger jobs but they are money and pay the rent.

As hard as it will be staff needs to be downsized. Subbies have to be paid off and bills paid as soon as possible. Once the bills and debts are brought up to date, there will be less pressure brought to bear by creditors all wanting their money at the same time and you will be able to see what money you have left over for some small ads in your local paper. Don’t be misled by a sales rep trying to talk you into a bigger ad by saying that the bigger ads work better. This is not the time to be branding your business because what you are really after now is work.

Construction contractors and financial crises don’t play well together so it is time to go from base-to-base rather than try to hit a home run. By taking more care of your small contracting business will get you to home base by being prepared to run one base at a time.

OH&S Issues for all Contractors

2011-07-02T10:54:00.000+10:00

There have been some really stupid construction jobs done recently as seen in this photo. Unfortunately, there are several others that have been forwarded on to us here to highlight the OH&S danger posed to these contractors through silly work practices.


Unsafe OH&S work practices

For more information about better job safety go to constructing profits so that your business may benefit without any safety issues causing loss of profits.

Licenses

2011-04-18T15:03:00.000+10:00

Recently in Australia there state Govts have been cracking down on building sites and demanding to see builders licences. This has caused an uproar among many builders and other contractors who have quoted and won work for which they don't have licences to do.

This has caused a lot of financial hardship to many subbies and it is all so unnecessary. Everyone knows what they are licensed to do and what they are not covered to do. When the building inspectors call in to your building site, there is no acceptable excuse for not having your building licence on you or for carrying out jobs that you are not licenced to do.

This is, has, cost some building contractors who have taken on flood damage work that they are not licenced to do. Apart from the financial hardship to the Tradies and their families, the inconvenience to the householder and the bad name it gets our industry for being fullk of shonky operators ~ PLEASE ~ just don't do it!

Have you checked your licences lately to make sure that they are all up to date and paid up? If not, now would be a very good time to do so before one of the Building Inspectors finds out for you.

Constructing profits in the building industry doesn't mean that you need to take on every thing. Just stick with what you are licensed to do and you will stay profitable.

Business Profit in the Construction Industry

2011-03-09T17:26:00.000+10:00

Businesses working in the construction industry vary from the small trade contractors to the corporate and publicly listed material supply Hardware stores. Some of the smaller construction contractors are finding life more difficult today because they have had their credit rating downgraded.

The larger publicly listed corporations are still announcing some more-than-healthy profits which is leaving them with a public relations problem among many of their trade contractor customer base. So the question remains one of striving and achieving balance between the Hardware company shareholders and their customer base of small individual contractors that are adding those healthy profits to the company bottom line.

In Australia, the larger- medium sized construction contracting businesses are also finding life more difficult because they are having trouble finding enough qualified trades people to fill their contracts. Finding qualified trades people in some smaller towns is near impossible because there is just so much work around after the catastrophic floods in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

With so much work that needs to be done here in Australia, the banks and other financial lending institutions need to free-up more credit to the trade contractors so that they can purchase the materials that they need to do their job.

Large tracts of Australia need to be re-built and everyone can’t wait for the big construction firms to send out qualified tradesmen to do the work. We need qualified individual trade contractors who have the means to rebuild our homes, towns and city. Not to mention all the rebuilding that needs to be done out on the remote mining sites and the infrastructure needed to get the mines operational again.

Roads, bridges and rail lines have to be rebuilt to get to the wharves that have to be repaired or in some instances, rebuilt.

Business profits in the construction industry are at an all-time high in Australia today for qualified and capable trade contractors.

Neon Signs aren't suitable for Construction Businesses

2011-02-22T10:52:00.002+10:00

If you are a small construction business and you are looking for ways to advertise your business during the hours when you aren't available, don't even consider installing neon signs. They will put you into debt so fast your bank manager is likely to add your name to the local football team!

Neon signs around a construction yard are a sure recipe for disaster. Just think of all that materials that gets loaded into trucks and the back of your Ute and how often you have to swing it around to make it fit in.

BTW, for all those non-Aussies, among us (welcome :-) ) but I had better explain what a ute is. It is short for Utility and it is a vehicle like the picture below:

These are very versatile vehicles both for work and for joy riding. They are number 1 choice for many people living and working in the rural areas and for construction workers who often have to carry awkward loads.

Overseas workers targeted for Queensland flood rebuilding program

2011-02-21T13:54:00.000+10:00

Overseas workers targeted for Queensland flood rebuilding program: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

The rebuilding of Queensland Australia is an enormous job. There is so much work to be done here to repair the catastrophic flood damage caused by the one in 200 year floods that inundated 75% of Queensland.

Houses, Mines, Industrial estates, roads, railway lines, port facilities all have to be rebuilt ASAP.

Queensland URGENTLY needs as many qualified tradespeople as we can get hold of!

As if the floods didn't do enough damage, the category 5 tropical cyclone Yasi came along and had a go at finishing off the rest. Our "beautiful one day, perfect the next" climate decided to make us pay for the privilege of living in such a beautiful environment. So we are paying and if you want a job, why don't you come and earn some of the proceeds? You may as well benefit too while rebuilding our beautiful state?

Besides, once you get here, you may decide never to go home again. Bring the family with you and stay awhile....you won't regret it, guaranteed :-)

Advertising Mix - Things to Consider When Choosing a Radio Format to Advertise On

2011-02-15T08:59:00.000+10:00

If your small business is in the construction industry, the best advertising mix for you to consider when choosing a radio format to advertise with will be the one that the people you want to reach actually listen to.

There is one thing about most small construction businesses and that is that many of them spend a lot of time listening to a radio.

If not actively listening to a radio over the noise of electric drills and the general banging going on around a construction site, there is often a radio on somewhere. Tilers and Painters in particular, like to have a radio playing in their workplace but how much they actually concentrate on what the announcer is saying, could be another matter. Unless, of course, it’s the latest sports results and then they seem to actively listen.

Whether this is because sport is a big conversation topic among them and their mates and everyone likes to be able to take part in the conversations around them, or is it because they are genuinely interested? Either way, the important part to remember here is that many construction contractors do actively listen to these sports news items.

So if you are a construction contractor working in the building industry and you are thinking of doing some radio advertising to project managers or builders because you want more sub-contract work, then the best time for your radio ad to be the most effective for you will be to make sure that your ad is read or heard as close as possible to the time slot of these sports broadcasts. Either just before or just after is the best time.

You can place your radio ad to be heard at your nominated times but sometimes, you may have to pay a premium to get your wanted ad-time. Most radio sales reps have packages of time slots that their station want to fill and these will often consist of a mixture of random times.

When buying radio ads, you are actually buying air-time. This is the product these sales reps are selling and if they sell you a radio package where many of the time slots may be cheaper to buy (while still being very expensive!) your radio ad will simply not be heard by those you are wanting to reach. This is as useless to your small business as fly-screens on a submarine!

Radio air time is very expensive and today doesn’t have the same audiences as it had twenty years ago. Even with a radio switched on, it has simply become a background noise that unless someone is actively listening for something, your ad simply won’t get noticed.

So if you decide to try radio advertising, make sure your ad begins with a noise that gets their attention. But be careful when doing this because some noises are so ‘real’ today they can cause distress or give someone such a fright their first response is anger. This is not a good introduction for your business.

If you do decide to give radio advertising a go, make sure the time slot you choose to use matches the audience you want to reach in the format that you are comfortable using to introduce your small construction business to your targeted listeners.

How to Make a Good Flyer

2011-02-10T10:46:00.000+10:00

How to make a good flyer will depend on what you want to achieve with the flyer. There are any number of ways to make a flyer that is most likely to achieve what you want it to do, but there is absolutely no point in making one type of flyer when another type would have been more suitable for the target audience.

I believe most of us are familiar with the term “pearls before swine” which is not being derogatory to anyone just that it best describes what I am trying to say. Trying to make an all-singing, all-dancing flyer for someone who just wants to know where they can reach a plumber for example is more likely to succeed if it is a simple black text on white paper.

On the other hand, you wouldn’t want to build an expensive house by picking a Builder that you came across from a black and white flyer in your letterbox. A better way to describe this type of flyer would be “horses for courses”. In other words, you don’t send a Pony to run a Steeplechase.

If you are a handyman looking for those extra little jobs locally then all you need is a white paper flyer with all your details written in black, easy to read typeface. These flyers are usually 3 to a page of A4 size paper and can be placed horizontal or vertical depending on what you want to say in your advertisement.

Now if you are a Builder wanting to build the next town mansion, you want to start off by displaying your capabilities and class. After all, would you give a building project to any business that was too frugal to pay for an expensive full sized, glossy and coloured flyer? No, neither would anyone else.

If you are a Builder and want to build quality homes then you will need a good flyer to display your capabilities. A good way to do this is to ask the owners of previous homes that you have built for their permission to showcase their home on your coloured, glossy flyer. Most people would be delighted to know that they are living in a ‘show home’ because it gives enormous prestige to them among their friends and family. Pride can be a wonderful asset when massaged correctly.

These high-class flyers must be printed by a printer and they are expensive. It is more expensive though to cut-corners and try to make them cheaply. A good flyer of this calibre is not put into letterboxes. It is usually provided to Architects and Engineers in your city and nearby towns that you are willing to work in. These businesses then keep your flyer on their books and ask you to quote on their jobs as and when they come up. These are a good source of work and as time and your reputation increases, so do the offers and the prices you are able to charge for your work.

So the best way to make a good flyer is to design and print it aimed squarely towards your target market.

How Computer Aided Drafting Can Help in Your Quest to Build the Perfect Structure

2011-02-08T08:53:00.001+10:00

Computer aided drafting can help to build the near impossible structure or solution to a product or building problem. Computer aided drafting is where a computer and a special CAD programme is used to draft a plan of how to do something with materials matching the strength required to make the product or structure safe and effective.

It takes years to understand precisely how to use the programme most effectively and a continuous progression of staying current with the new building materials constantly being developed.

Many innovative small trade businesses have great ideas but seem to waste money on making those ideas work. Having an idea as to how something could work to seeing it actually working can be a very expensive exercise in frustration.

Many trade contractors are innovative people and are frequently asked to manufacture and install solutions to near-impossible building requests. These jobs cause frustration both to the customer and the trade contractor and when expensive materials are used, someone usually has to wear the loss.

By drafting a detailed plan on a computer screen first will save a lot of money and frustration.

Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) programmes are used today by most Engineers and Architects to design buildings and everything that has to be strength tested in some way or another. CAD programmes are also used by many industrial designers and numerous other trades but it is not all the same programme as over the years, these programmes have been developed for trade specific jobs. The intention of what the programme is needed for hasn’t changed; just the method of achieving how each design is arrived at.

CAD programmes for industrial designers and other users of the technology differ from how an Engineer or Architect will use the technology. In the “old days” pre-computer, Engineers and Architects used a slide rule. This worked pretty well but often doors were placed and overlapped walls or opened the wrong way. All kinds of wrong instructions were put in the plans for the builders to have to try to follow or sort out. The theory or plan on paper often didn’t match the practical reality when a builder or plumber tried to put the instructions into practice.

Over the years, these incorrect building instructions built up a lot of resentment between the architects and the tradespeople following those instructions because it was usually the builder who ended up out-of-pocket. Even today, a good builder will still do their own check. It still pays to do this to save money on the job. Trust is hard to get and easy to lose.

Over the past decades many new building materials have become available for all trades who use a CAD programme and all of these new product and building materials come with specifications for how and where they are to be used.

The ramifications of misusing any type of material in a product or structure today are huge. Many lawyers make a very good living from these types of lawsuits. To stay out of trouble you are well advised to use a Computer Aided Drafting professional in your quest to build the perfect product or structure.

Small Businesses - How to Get Financial Advice

2011-02-06T11:25:00.000+10:00

Some small business owners will start off in their business financially blind. By that, I mean that they have seen a good idea and found the perfect location, but then jumped into setting everything up except their finances. Sounds weird, but some small business owners have done little more than a few figures on the back of an envelope.

So, before starting off your latest business project, how well have you done your homework?

Are you a small trade business and been offered what looks like a good private contracting job? Or has the offer simply come as a “this is what I’m willing to pay” type offer? Many people would be amazed at how often a plumber or tiler or any other trade contractor will take on one of these type jobs. Sometimes they won’t even do the estimate for themselves on the back of an envelope! Think I’m joking? Ask around any construction site and see for yourself.

The best place to start with for financial advice is often at home. Many small trade businesses have a wife and she is usually the one who does the books and runs the home. She knows how much it costs to live and what the going rate is for materials that your trade needs. She is usually the one too who is more computer literate because she does the accounts every week.

Between the two of you, do up a spreadsheet and enter all the relevant cost estimates to complete the job. Once you have all the relevant information included (including all your tax and payroll liabilities) along with when and where the progress payments are due, you will then have an idea of the financial viability or not of the contract. This is the essential step for any small business.

Then hopefully, you already have an accountant. The accountant’s job is more than doing up your tax returns every year. Today they act as a first stop financial advisor and have all the contacts with bank managers, financial institutions and lawyers in your town or area. It is a good idea to drop off your newly created spreadsheet to him/her so they can go over it checking that there are no omissions.

Tax laws change frequently and to stay abreast of all of them is your accountant’s job. They are the best ones to advise you as this is critical financial advice that every small business needs. Once he assesses and agrees the figures are correct and then it is safe to proceed.

If you need a low interest loan or overdraft to complete the job, then a bank manager or loans officer is more likely to look more favourably upon your request because they can see for themselves that you know what you are doing. When a loan applicant looks more like they know what they are doing, the loan is more likely to be repaid, and that is all a bank or financial institution wants to know.

By doing your own cost estimates professionally, then having them checked by your accountant prior to approaching your bank or other financial institution is the best financial advice you can get.

Queensland Floods Expose Asbestos

2011-01-28T13:05:00.000+10:00

Asbestos has now become a serious problem for home owners and contractors repairing the flood damaged houses caused by the recent floods in Queensland.

These flood waters tore through many properties, farms and regional towns in the rural areas where many of the homes damaged were originally built in the late 1940 – 1980 era.

Many of these houses were built using Asbestos material such as “Fibro”. Fibro is the shortened name for Fibrous Asbestos Cement (FAC). It is a cement mixed with asbestos fibers and was banned from use in the mid-80’s. It was replaced by another Jasmes Hardie product simply called Fiber Cement Siding.

These older fibro homes are now requiring repair after the water has inundated them. When houses are filled with water, once the water has been drained away and the houses have been dried out, all the internal and many external walls have to be torn out and replaced otherwise every time it rains and the material gets wet or damp, the house will stink.

Ripping out and replacing these internal and external walls that are made from Fibro is not too much of a problem when they are damp because the fibers hold together. Mind you, I’m certainly not recommending anyone touch this stuff if they so much as suspect that the material is made of Fibro!

The very serious problem is once the Fibro dries out as it has to do to be removed, or even after it is removed and dries out on the footpath or outside anywhere, these asbestos fibers float and become airborne and represent a very, very serious danger to everyone’s health and James Hardie’s wealth.

Under no circumstances, if you suspect the material to be made from asbestos, should any non-professional, non-hazmat qualified trade’s person attempt to dispose of the materials.

The Queensland floods that covered 75% of Queensland and a substantial percentage of our capital city Brisbane; put many older properties under water and as many of them were ‘older’ homes, they had substantial quantities of fibro used in their building materials. Many of these homes have had the asbestos material treated and sealed but many had/were not.

On the ‘Salvage Saturday’ immediately after the flood waters had started to recede, when thousands and thousands of volunteers appeared from the non-waterlogged suburbs to help those less fortunate home owners to clean up their homes, many of these volunteers may have been exposed to wet-Fibro materials.

These were internal and external walls that were washed down or damaged and needed to be removed. They were carried outside and put into a garbage collection pile ready for the dump trucks to take the rubbish to the tip.

Because the materials would have been wet at that stage, hopefully the asbestos fibers would have been contained. But if there was a pile of this material lying and drying out in the sun still waiting for pickup, and then beware.

Do not go near the stuff or stand downwind from it. Asbestos is a killer. It causes mesothelioma and can only be handled by a HazMat team of fully trained professionals.

The asbestos will be coming out of flood damaged houses for years to come while repairs are made. The current advisory for contractors working in this area is that if there is ten square meters or more of asbestos material then the Hazmat team must be called in to dispose of it. These are the official guidelines and must be adhered to.

If there are smaller quantities to be removed, then call in a professionally trained and certified trade business that specializes in asbestos removal. They are listed on the Internet and don’t charge the earth for their services. If you are a Queensland house owner who has no building experience at all, then don’t even hesitate to call and wait for a professional trade’s person.

Solar Power Information for all Australians

2010-02-04T16:17:00.000+10:00

This week has seen the Australian Federal Government commence business for 2010 and the release of the Coalitions new Environmental policy. Solar power features heavily in it and in my humble opinion, it is worth cheering for. Solar Power is 'a given' in Australia and why it has taken us all so long to even think about using it advantageously has got to be either a 'real shame job' to Australians or more likely, a result of powerful lobbying forces in Canberra.

I strongly suspect the latter and I am impressed that Tony Abbott, the leader of the opposition, must think so too. One of his ideas is to not to put another heavy tax burden on ALL Australians, but to put a levy on 1000 of Australia's biggest polluters. He wants the level of their emissions tagged at 2005 levels, and if they increase emissions over and above that, then they will be hit hard with penalties. All up, this should raise approx. ten billion dollars to go towards funding environmentally friendly and renewable energy.

The other suggestion in the coalitions policy that had me cheering was that they want to put solar panels on every house in Australia. Whooppee! This is precisely what I have been espousing for the past few years. All it it needs is some reconfiguring of our substations and power stations and it can be done. Apparently 'the powers that be' think so too. This is the best news for a decade for all Australians.

What it can mean to the average Australian household is much, much lower electricity costs. Now when we get these forty plus degrees Celsius days, we should all be able to enjoy cool air-conditioning safely being powered by the very thing that is creating the heat. What a win-win situation for everyone, including the environment.

Previously what has had to happen is that we've had to burn more coal to generate the electricity and or have it transferred across hundreds of kilometres of high voltage power lines where so much electricity has simply dissipated into the surrounding environment.

The other thing I liked about the coalitions policy is that we aren't burning our bridges behind us (pun almost intended) but we are keeping our options available while we build the new systems. Coal is cheap and dirty but it is still better to have that as a backup than not to have any means at all of generating electricity.

Now Australia is going to need solar contractors because I strongly suspect that there will be an election held early this year and I also believe the coalition will be re-elected again. I have been suggesting to all our construction contractors that this is the beginnings of a new trade and every town, city and whistle-stop will be looking for a solar contractor to hook up solar power to any building with a roof.

As we all know, there isn't yet the capability to build enough solar panels this week (China is working on it but so far isn't into mass production) for the whole country, but there already exists the means for a contractor to build them locally in their shed!

When the ball really starts to roll, it will all be done one house/building at a time.

Solar power is about to happen and we will have a shortage of solar contractors to install the systems. If you are a construction business looking for a 'value ad' for your business then you are on the cusp of something life-changing. Grab it with both hands and run with it, please. We need You.

Alternative Energy Sources Need Development

2009-12-17T15:21:00.001+10:00

Copenhagen will prove to be an exercise as a world wide gathering of vested political interests. They will all argue they are there to get the best deal possible for their individual countries but if you think about it for two seconds, it comes down to getting re-elected for another political term on the basis of having performed well for their country. But what about the rest of us in the world?

We, the people on planet earth, need change desperately. We all have to find new energy systems and we all have to stop polluting our planet. Somehow, climate change became the catch cry when what the people of the world are asking for, is to clean up the pollution we all see around us that is affecting our environments and life quality.

Somehow, this pollution business got hijacked into climate warming and then into climate change and big money vested interests. And not one iota of pollution is being cleaned up; no big polluters are being called to account to fix up their mess and still old growth forests are being logged at a great rate of destruction. So what can we all do?

Firstly, for all of us who are lucky enough to live in a democracy, call on our respective elected members to fix the problem. If that doesn't work, then we go to the Governments opposition to get them to hold our elected governing parties to better account. Arm all Governments oppositions with our objections to Government policies we are unhappy with, and express our opinions and needs to clean up our own respective environments in our localities.

To date, traditional print media who once used to scrutinise all Governments, has been remarkably remiss in accurate and investigative reporting on this vital problem. Why? Could it be because they are such a big polluter with their paper products?

No matter what our Governments will legislate, eventually it will all come down to us the people to do or implement anyway, so why don't we make a start from our end, the grass roots level, and the ones who elect these would-be "permanent pollies" into or out of Government, and start cleaning up our own environments first? This will show our elected officials that we are determined to fix and influence our world in a positive way and scare them into giving us what we want instead of just accepting whatever they are prepared to let us have.

Why has all our power/electricity supplies been centralised anyway? Big money, smaller infrastructure costs, but if we are to get clean energy in our environments, we need to have the power generated locally. Why? Because one of the features of electricity is that it can't be transported over long distances. These massive big transformer power lines that we see all over our landscapes are actually losing about 20% of the energy into the surrounding environment.

Cancer clusters have been found in people who live near these transformer power lines. Over the years there have been innumerable studies carried out to see if those people who get cancer and live near one of these power lines is affected adversely from them. To my knowledge, no clear link has been established but the coincidence is too high for me to believe these studies haven't been influenced by vested interest groups.

Alternative energy supplies are available in all our local communities if we can gee-up our local political members to do something about establishing them locally. Solar power for Australia is available everywhere and to my way of thinking it's a good idea to use part of the problem as part of the solution. But one should never put all one's eggs in the same basket.

We all need alternative energy supplies so we are no longer held captive by energy hijackers. One of the reasons why energy supplies are increasing in costs so rapidly is because there's nothing to stop the power corporations from increasing their costs and blaming it all on production costs caused by global warming. These energy corporations are all saying that here in Australia we are all using too much power with air-conditioning units. The big power corporations in the northern hemisphere are probably upping the costs too and blaming it all on climate change as well.

So regardless of the outcome of the climate change conference in Copenhagen we all need to have access to alternative and affordable energy supplies and a less polluted world.

Photovoltaic Social Solutions

2009-12-05T13:45:00.000+10:00

In todays world where photovoltaic cells represent a new energy resource and are desperately being researched and developed by western countries, energy sources have always been needed in socially challenged third world countries. Here is where the people have either had no electricity or have had a very intermittent and disrupted electricity supply.

Photovoltaic research and development needs are a lot of sun obviously to fine tune and improve the technology and if there is one thing that many of these third world countries have in common is an abundance of sunshine. In fact, they have so much sunshine in many of the countries that this is one of the many causes of their social problems. Sunshine in excess is a killer of humans and animals because of dried up water supplies and inadequate food production caused by drought.

Without adequate clean drinking water for human consumption and enough water for food production, many of these countries are now facing wars and famine on a scale unknown in human history.

One German company, Schott Solar, has undertaken Corporate projects in many of these undeveloped countries and has supplied them with a reliable supply of solar electricity and other important development projects to help these countries develop agricultural projects and to improve living conditions. They have done this by donating and installing solar power to hospitals and schools and to provide electricity to power water pumps to pump water from beneath the ground to drought stricken fields.

Not only are Schott Solar assisting development in places like Tanzania and Senegal, they are doing it in such a way that these solar power modules are suitable for recycling at some time in the future as technology improves or is replaced. The recycling of these raw materials will make for great environmental savings at some point in the future. Earths resources are finite and this is just starting to become obvious to some western countries faster than others.

PV or Photovoltaic solar power is suitable for many countries around the world and those countries who have a surfeit of sunshine would be financially and morally irresponsible not to make better use of the sunshine that pours down on them every day and is currently one of the major causes of their social problems.

Anytime the cause of a problem can be turned into the solution needs support and photovoltaic technology still has a long way to go with research and further development. The German company Schott Solar have been researching and developing solar technology now for 51 years and they are considered the world leaders in photovoltaic technology.

Your Solar Construction Contracting Business Depends on Change

2009-11-24T19:10:00.000+10:00

Many people aren't aware that their hot water systems are one of the biggest household electrical expenses. Some of these plumbing systems work continuously to keep the water at a set temperature but in doing this they are constantly chewing electricity and raising your bill into the stratosphere. Some of these older type water heating systems can nearly triple your power bill each quarter. If you want to read more about solar construction contracting then go to constructing profits in the construction industry

Ten Ways to Save Water with Your Plumbers Approval

2009-11-18T07:48:00.000+10:00

1. Fix all Dripping taps and running toilets
2. Don’t turn taps on full bore when you just want to rinse hands ~ use the sink plug
3. Don’t take long showers. If you want to enjoy the peace that water gives, run a bath half full and enjoy the soak with a clear conscience.
4. Don’t let the tap run when you clean your teeth. Just turn it on when needed
5. Make sure you have a water-limiting shower head.
6. If you have Teenagers, put them on an agreed timer so they appreciate why it has to be so ~otherwise threaten them with bathing in the same tub AFTER their brother/sister has had their bath!
7. When having a shower, if you have to let the water run then catch it in a bucket so it can be delivered to pot-plants/garden.
8. If you catch the ‘grey water’ from your washing machine you can water plants and shrubs~ so be careful of what you wash clothes in. Do you really need to bleach your clothes? Ummmm…..really?
9. Use plugs to limit the amount of water needed everywhere. Only do the dishes when you have enough dirty dishes to warrant a sink-full. Only put the dishwasher on when it’s full of dirty dishes. Don’t do half-loads.
10. If you decide to do the laundry, make sure you only use the amount of water needed to wash the size of the load.
The important thing is to THINK before automatically doing jobs involving water. Make your Plumber proud and help save lives~ the way things are heading, it could well be your own.

For more information about Plumbing and better ways to save the environment click here

Cashing in Your Structured Settlement

2009-10-30T18:49:00.001+10:00

Cashing in a structured settlement is a huge decision in today's economic climate. If you do decide to sell your monthly income in lieu of a lump sum payout then there are a couple of things that you may need to consider very carefully first.

Why do you want to cash it in? If you want to pay down debt or a mortgage this could save you a lot of money. If you are thinking of trading it in to buy shares or bonds then you probably need to discuss this with your bank or stockbroker. If you want to go on a long vacation right now you may need to discuss this with your family and or bank manager.

How are the family finances depending on that monthly income? If it is removed, will its absence cause other problems?

How much are you likely to lose by selling your structured settlement? Sometimes this can be exorbitant and needs to be weighed up and considered very carefully. You will have to lose some because the buyer needs to be compensated for his risks in purchasing it.

If you sell your structured settlement in order to pay off your mortgage, how much interest will you save when compared against what you will lose by selling early?

The reason you will lose money by selling early is because the stock broking firm or bank or whoever you decide to sell it to will try to get it for as low a payout as possible. Having said that, the person or organization that purchases your settlement agreement will be taking a degree of risk and will expect compensation. This is fair and reasonable. As to how much compensation he gets is up to what you or your banker or whoever you decide to be your negotiator in this transaction, can limit the cost down to. The really important thing to know and remember here is: Don't Sign Anything.

No matter what, just don't sign anything under any circumstances until you are sure and happy with your agreement. Once you sign a document without checking it thoroughly yourself or better still, have a lawyer read it over first, you may have signed something with a 'small print' clause that gives them first option to purchase or something underhand like that.

Once you sign something and you aren't happy with the negotiations, you lose your "walking Power". While ever you still own your structured settlement and all the rights to it, you are still in the best negotiating position. If you aren't happy with the deal, you are under no obligation or commitment to continue negotiating with that person or organization. You have the right to walk away and sell it to someone else.

Solar Power Hot Water

2009-10-27T12:41:00.000+10:00

Many people aren't aware that their hot water systems are one of the biggest household electrical expenses. Some of these hot water systems work continuously to keep the water at a set temperature but in doing this they are constantly chewing into your electricity bill. Some of these older type hot water systems can nearly triple your power bill each quarter.

Then we get the next generation of hot water systems like Rheem and Solarhart and these are 'off-peak' systems that half your power bill each quarter. Until you have installed one you don't realise just what a saving these represent. It's not until you move into a leased unit where the only hot water system is an older one that you seriously start to appreciate just what a saving those off-peak systems actually were. Not only were they an immediate saving to your power bill but many electricity suppliers also discounted your bill because you had installed an off peak hot water system.

Now though you can install a solar power hot water system that costs you virtually nothing after the initial outlay for the solar panels. But these don't have to be expensive either any more because if you have a handyman ability you can now make these in your back shed for less than $200 per panel. Using this solar energy represents a huge saving to the family budget and to your community and the planet.

There's no doubt about the savings that can be otherwise used if we fully use something like the sun that is given to us freely most days of the year. Solar powered hot water systems are definitely the future and the sooner we all have them installed on our homes the more money we will all save.

Window Air Conditioners and Trade Contractors

2009-10-22T08:57:00.001+10:00

It is a very nice little sideline for construction contractors to see the real estate agents in ther area and advise them that they are prepared to go out to their managed properties to install window air conditioners.

I know this because when I lived in Darwin, NT I ran a home maintenance agency and I know how many calls we used to get from real estate agents, property owners, tenants and home owners to come and install an airconditioning unit into a window. Carrier were always a very popular window unit.

Window air conditioners were invented for people who are renting a property or who move residence frequently but still want a few home comforts. This is when a window air conditioner could be the answer for you.

If you are living in a house that has a double-hung window this makes it the easiest way to insert one of these air conditioners into a window space providing it is firmly attached to good support that isn't going to damage the external appearance or structure of the house. This is easily enough accomplished simply by building a resting platform on which the air conditioner can sit with the triangulated arms resting against something firm between the paintwork of the building and the preferably steel arms of the triangulated supports.

If the only window space available is a sliding window with a fly screen which is the most common form of window in houses in Australia today, you may have to do a bit more work to get it bedded in safely. You will still probably need a resting platform for the air conditioner to rest on unless you have unusually large window sills.

You will also have to replace the window glass and fly screen above the air conditioner. This makes it more expensive and unless you plan on being in the house for a couple of years probably isn't worth the expense or hassle.

If this is the case then it would probably be a good idea to speak to your land lord or property manager and ask them to insert a window air conditioner for you. As they are not too expensive an item and if you are a good tenant, then there's every chance the property owner will want to keep you and will do this for you. That simply makes the insertion of a window air conditioner more viable for everyone.

Window Air Conditioners

2009-10-20T20:13:00.000+10:00

Window air conditioners were invented for people who are renting a property or who move residence frequently but still want a few home comforts. This is when a window air conditioner could be the answer for you.

If you are living in a house that has a double-hung window this makes it the easiest way to insert one of these air conditioners into a window space providing it is firmly attached to good support that isn't going to damage the external appearance or structure of the house. This is easily enough accomplished simply by building a resting platform on which the air conditioner can sit with the triangulated arms resting against something firm between the paintwork of the building and the preferably steel arms of the triangulated supports.

If the only window space available is a sliding window with a fly screen which is the most common form of window in houses in Australia today, you may have to do a bit more work to get it bedded in safely. You will still probably need a resting platform for the air conditioner to rest on unless you have unusually large window sills.

You will also have to replace the window glass and fly screen above the air conditioner. This makes it more expensive and unless you plan on being in the house for a couple of years probably isn't worth the expense or hassle.

If this is the case then it would probably be a good idea to speak to your land lord or property manager and ask them to insert a window air conditioner for you. As they are not too expensive an item and if you are a good tenant, then there's every chance the property owner will want to keep you and will do this for you. That simply makes the insertion of a window air conditioner more viable for everyone.

Solar Power in Australia

2009-10-18T16:49:00.002+10:00

With all the attention currently being geared towards making the planet Earth a more energy efficient and safer environment for humans to live on, solar power seems to be enjoying the most attention in Australia. Hardly surprising really because every state of Australia is blessed with an abundance of sunshine each day. Even Melbourne, the city of four seasons in one day, does enjoy some sunshine however spasmodically.

Up until this point one of the big drawbacks to solar power has been the lack of storage capacity of the electricity. Many Australians that I speak with would prefer to see more funding put towards natural power sources like solar and wind rather than millions and millions of dollars being put towards finding a clean coal solution. Even a fraction of some of these Research and Development funds given to the coal industry would go a long way towards fixing some of the known problems like battery storage capacity for solar power.

Yes, it would be nice if both could be done at the same time and save those thousands of miner's jobs. It would also be nice to be the first country to come up with the solution to the problem of clean coal burning technology, especially as Australia has such large reserves of coal. But the question has to be asked "if the coal burning industries are such viable and important industries to this country, and they are such a revenue producing business, why aren't the coal mining companies putting more resources into the research and development of the technology?" And it's not as if they have been unaware that the problem was gaining urgency. Greenpeace alone has made sure they got the message numerous times.

Solar power augmented where and when necessary by existing coal fired power stations complying with a workable emissions trading scheme, seems to be a rather obvious choice for most Australians that I have spoken with. Now, if we could leave the politicians out of the equation, we could well end up with what could be a very viable, efficient and inexpensive energy supply.

Building Contractors and the Yellow Pages

2009-10-14T10:58:00.000+10:00

Every country has their version of the yellow pages. In some areas, countries /states / regions the yellow pages is so thick with entries it is incredibly hard to stand out and be noticed. So how do you make your ad more noticeable than everyone else's?

As strange as it sounds, this is definitely a case of when 'less is more'. If you want to check for yourself, pick up your copy of the yellow pages now and thumb through it taking note of what catches your eye and where it's placed. This will give you a fair idea of what you need to request of your yellow pages rep when they next visit you.

Do you know when the newest version of Yellow pages in your area is due? If not, then check in the front of the phone book because it usually says in there when they get updated. If you don't have any idea of when your ad falls due again you probably won't have enough time to think carefully about what type of ad you want and what you want included or excluded from last years ad.

The yellow pages are THE one book that every building contractor should be listed in. Many towns these days have several versions of phone books and business directories available and if you can afford it, or if you have found in the past that you got a fairly good response from them then go for it too but you still need to be listed in the official yellow pages phone book as well. Don't do away with the official yellow pages because if you do you may well end up with a very small income for the year. A year with hardly any work coming in is no fun. Just ask someone who has made that mistake once and I'll guarantee you they don't do it again

Minglesticks and solar energy ~ Our Future

2009-10-04T09:41:00.000+10:00

These will make Terrific Promotional Items for your Business. They are the future so get yours today the same as solar energy will be a big part of our energy source in the not too distant future.

Minglesticks Make Good Company Christmas Gifts

2009-10-03T08:45:00.000+10:00

It's around this time of year that many companies start to plan for their corporate gift giving ideas. Usually they are looking for something that both reminds the client/customer of the comany's name and services but this year due to the economic climate everywhere, it also needs to be less expensive. Finding just the right gift fitting this criteria is not so easy but now with the arrival of minglesticks they can be both a promotional and a great gift idea.

These are new on the market and they are technology's answer to the business card. Business cards often get left in the office or at home but now the minglestick is carried on a key chain or key ring so unless you lock yourself out of your home or office, you will usually have your contact details on you when asked for your phone number. But now you can link them into your company website on your favourite Social Networking site so you get increased traffic to your site.

I strongly suggest to all our contractors that they think seriously about giving minglesticks as corporate gifts because it is an extremely useful gift and it will be branded with your name on it. Just think how many other business that one of your clients does business with? Everytime they go to exchange contact details guss who's business is seen every time? As some would say, "it's a no-brainer".

Tradesmen Who Tell Fibs, Don't Get 'Second Dibs'

2009-09-30T16:13:00.000+10:00

I have always remarked that unless you have a very good memory; don't ever tell fibs because it's practically guaranteed that you will slip up somewhere, so why bother even going there?

For a trade's person who says they've done a job to 'pad out' their bill when they haven't done the work is losing a lot more than a bit of extra cash. Quite frankly, you simply don't know who is watching or why. It's probably not an original story but it happened to me yesterday.

My car was due for registration and as it was an interstate licence plate it had to go through all the checks etc. which meant I had to leave it at the garage and give them time to do their thing. I said I was going up to the shopping centre (mall) but on the way ran into a friend and she invited me up to her office for a coffee. Now her office just happened to overlook the garage where I had left my car. Long story short, the mechanic drove my car to the hoist and it was the next car in line after the one already up on the hoist. I watched all this as I enjoyed my coffee and chat with my friend.

I was asked to come back by 1500 and as the time approached; my car was still waiting to be done. I left my friend and went over to the garage expecting him to ask me to come back in another hour and I wasn't overly impressed but because I had been watching I knew the mechanic who was working on the car ahead of me really had been going 'flat chat'. Hey, you know, that's life. No big deal at least I was away from my computer for longer than anticipated and that can't be all bad, can it?

But then the mechanic started rattling off all these things that were wrong with my car~ it was going to cost me nearly $600 to get everything fixed! He had barely looked at the car (he hadn't even kicked the tyres) and he certainly hadn't even driven the car more than ten feet. But he did kindly offer me a 5% discount

There is no way that I will ever let him near my car again. If there is something wrong with my car it could kill me so why would I want to put my life in someone's hands who tells me lies?

So my message and advice to all our honest 'tradies' out there is never be tempted to tell 'porkies' 'cause they will come back and bite you on your "nether end".

Climate Change:Sydney Dust Storm

2009-09-24T19:51:00.000+10:00

Climate Change is happening regardless of the nay-sayers and people in denial. Denying something doesn't make it not-so. It simply means you've got your head buried in the sand and your tail ready for a right royal kicking! This is the dust storm that hit Sydney on 21 September 2009 over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Australia's prime top soil is now blown out over the Pacific Ocean.

Solar Energy: Why We Consumers Have to Drive it Ourselves

2009-09-23T19:13:00.000+10:00

When you stop and think about the readily available power given to us each day by the sun, why aren't we making use of it?

Yes, there are a few relatively minor problems that need more Research and Development technology applied but with a bit of determined and concentrated effort and with more funding, our scientists can fix these problems pretty easily. All we need is a bit of 'political' will and market driven incentives to do so.

Once someone proves a way to implement this new technology in a way that will make money for company shareholders, I believe this alternative energy source will be quickly implemented. Alternatively, we could threaten our political representatives with removal at the next elections unless strong, concrete plans were put in place to install solar energy use for all domestic users.

Bold plans but if there was money to be made with the new technology you can bet we would start to see some real action. If we could only stop the lobbyists from accessing our politicians and subverting their will to fix this energy dilemma for all of us, we would all be better off.

As things stand at this point in time, it's not really in the big power corporation's interests to put too much effort into finding or developing an alternate power source, is it? I mean it's a bit like asking the fox to guard the hen house.

That is why I believe consumers who are fed up with being used and abused by these big power companies and is tired of seeing garbage emissions polluting our world; have to drive this new technology ourselves.

There is no reason why each domestic installation can't provide enough electricity for their domestic use and only access a 'back-up' supply when needed. Not every household will need to access the power grid because many consumers live alone and the solar power generated from their own roofs will more than fill their needs. Any excess power generated and unused from these domestic installations will need to be fed back into a sub-station so why do we need to have to fork out funds for clean coal technology?

Personally, I would prefer to see the funding put into developing better storage capacity for generated solar power than funding a stock exchange resource stock and their shareholders.

As a consumer of electricity, I think we all have to speak as one voice together and make a concerted effort to convince our political representatives that there are more votes with us 'little people' than there is from a big power corporation. We need to drive solar energy development by market demand rather than tax funded R&D monies to people with vested interests in seeing that solar energy is a long time in coming.

Solar Energy: Construction Contractors will be the Builders

2009-09-22T19:57:00.000+10:00

Today I have updated our website at http://www.constructingprofits.com/ as I will be following the progress of how many 'trsdies' will pick up this new technology in their towns and run with it.

As you know there is a meeting today and tommorw in NY,USA on climate change. It is happening much faster than most people want to know about. It's time to take an active role towards helping fix the problem instead of becoming part of it!

This is a brand new opening for tradies and they need to grab it with both hands.

I belive China will conquer the market on the manufacture of solar panels. I think this becuase they are already far more along than many of us in the west who are being happered by corporations and govts. with vested interests in maintaining the status quo.

I can only encourage you guys I can't break your power saws to do it ~

Solar Power Use on Freeways

2009-09-21T15:23:00.001+10:00

Solar power is used in Australia to power up those emergency telephones dotted along our freeways. Between the Gold Coast and Brisbane they are strategically and conveniently placed so any motorist who has a breakdown doesn't have to walk any huge distance for help if needed.

These days many people have mobile (cell) phones but there are still a lot of people who don't have this convenience so emergency phones are still urgently required. The traffic moves very fast along this motorway and particularly at peak times there is a lot of traffic on that motorway. Many people live on the Gold Coast and commute to work in Brisbane every day, so any breakdown along the motorway needs to be removed as soon as possible.

Solar Panels are also used to power up emergency phones in the outback of western Queensland particularly along the Barkly Highway heading towards the Northern Territory. Here the distances are hundred's of kilometres between road houses so it is life saving to have access to emergency assistance.

Years ago, I was travelling on the Nullarbor Highway between Perth and Adelaide when we came across a road train accident. A road train is a semi-trailer pulling one or two extra trailers and they can measure 50metres long. This road train was pulling three trailers and they were all full of Kimberley baby Nappies (diapers) being transported to Perth from Melbourne. There were white nappies littering the red soil for 100 metres in every direction.

Unfortunately the driver was badly injured. Luckily for him though that another road train was not far behind him and he had a Satphone and was able to call for help. This probably saved his life because there were no solar powered emergency phones anywhere along these desolate stretches of outback roads in the early 90's.

The use of solar power on our highways, freeways and motorways has probably saved countless lives. And to think that now solar panels can be made in a trade contractors shed is a wonderful step towards energy efficiency.

Solar Power Light

2009-09-20T14:23:00.001+10:00

Anyone who would have dared mention getting light in our homes from the sun via Solar Power when I was growing up would have had some very queer looks cast their way.

It would be hard to estimate today how many people around the world were born into a rural community. In Australia, many 'baby boomers' were born while their parents were living on the land. Some of these properties (ranches) were the result of land being given to returning soldiers from the first and second world wars but it did open up large tracts of land and created communities in the bush. As the children of these 'soldier settlers' grew up, parents discouraged their children from going onto the land for a living because it was a hard way to eke out a living.

Over time, some of these communities turned into towns while others lagged; sagged into disrepair and now many have not managed to survive beyond the odd general store / post office combination or pub. A Pub is short for "public house" and once was a thriving business to be in, in Australia, but not any more. Still, that's another story for another day. If I had the temerity or foresight to mention that the day was fast approaching when I would get my house lighting at night from the sun I would have politely been asked if I had been at the pub for too long!

Solar Power lighting today is an absolute gift for people still living in the Australian bush. The distance between properties is too far and it is too expensive to get connected into a main grid.

Up until this point many properties not conveniently located close enough to a main power line had to make do with 240volt diesel generators. These are expensive to run and noisy. They could also only be turned on occasionally because of the cost of running them so conveniences like electrical toasters, jugs, TV's, Vacuum cleaners etc were used sparingly.

Now that people can make their own solar panels and have solar power lighting available all the time, means people living anywhere in the bush will have lighting available to them whenever and for whatever, reason they need it. What a gift!

Solar Power Supply

2009-09-18T11:52:00.001+10:00

Solar power is supplied by the sun and that is why it is known as solar power. Here in Australia we are blessed with sunshine. Here in Queensland solar power pours down on us like a blessing from heaven. But there are parts of Queensland where they are still in drought and have been in drought for nearly a decade so there can be such a thing as too much sun too.

Up to this point in time there have been two major drawbacks to extending solar power supply availability to more homes and business. The first one was the battery capacity available.

In the last 2 years research and development have made some huge leaps with technology for battery storage capacity but it still requires a lot of Research and Development (R&D) funding to investigate longer and safer storage capabilities.

To give you some thinking to do, remember when mobile (cell) phones first became available? Remember the size of those building brick batteries we used to carry around and think we were all as smart as a 'rat with a gold tooth'? Well if you compare those memories with your latest mobile (cell) phone today you will see for yourself how much further along technology has progressed.

I am not suggesting solar batteries need to be or will ever get to the size of mobile phones at least not in my lifetime and probably not my cat's either but one day it will happen.

The second problem hampering development and manufacture of solar panels was the horrendous cost per panel.

But like many things, the technology is now available to cut costs down to a manageable price for the majority of home owners. The costs are more likely to stay affordable for the majority of people in our communities if we can get enough small businesses in each town to manufacture and install their own version of solar panels based on an industry conforming code of practice so we don't get any 'cowboys' in the industry and burn people out of their homes.

This is a fast opening gap in the construction industry and it is going to be a tradesperson who runs with it simply because they are the ones with the ability to do the job. If everyone works within their area of expertise then the sooner that happens the sooner we will all have access to a solar power supply. So if you are a trade business why are you waiting?

Solar Power Products

2009-09-17T16:55:00.000+10:00

Solar Power products, or rather the method of manufacturing solar power panels, are now available on the internet. Up until this point in time the solar panel's development has been left up to the big manufacturers that have had access to huge quantities of Research and Development (R&D) start up capital either through Government programs or through venture capitalists.

These venture capitalists are sometimes referred to as "business Angels" because they are prepared to fund new projects or industries usually because of the tax breaks involved

The solar power industry in Australia received a huge boost in sales and Research and Development (R&D) monies when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took office and again a year later in the US when President Obama took office.

When both had taken up the reigns of power, much had been promised to the development of finding alternative energy sources. Solar power was a front runner in this program along with funding research for the technology to make clean coal. Since then, the world has undergone the worst recession since the 1930's and finances have had to have been reallocated to prop up the world economy. Unless you have been living without human contact for a year and a half you no doubt already know all this.

But what you may not already be aware of is the impact this is having on existing manufacturers of solar panels and the gap that is opening up for 'business' savvy tradespeople who are physically capable of building, devising and trialling new technology.

It is this widening gap that I want all construction businesses to take note of and start giving some serious thought to the matter.

The first people to build these panels and test them won't be 'the suits' or the financial whiz-kids because few of them have the needed skills to do so but 'tradies' do! This is their field of expertise.

Yes, we need the scientists, engineers and all the rest but leave them to do it on their own and it simply won't happen. To get this job done everyone needs to work in their field of expertise.

It is my believe from reading and listening that the best and first way the solar industry is going to become a reality for everyone will be from smaller town communities.

Someone in a town (perhaps your town) is going to follow a blueprint, improve it for local conditions and install it on their own property, then their neighbours and down the street, out of the town, through the state and across the world. People are crying out for cheaper power sources and so far the only thing our 'powers that be' have done is fight and scramble for top spot so they can rule the market.

While they are squabbling over who's going to be boss leaves a huge gap for ability and I fervently hope this small article gets a few of you thinking. I know many of you have already given it some thought but now is the time to get practical and "do" to make cheap solar panel products readily available for all.

Solar Panel

2009-09-01T19:13:00.003+10:00

Hi everyone,

Today I was surfing through some stuff on clickbank and I came across this excellent product that I thought you may have been interested in.

Over the years I've had many interesting discussions about solar panels and how I think every building roof around the western world (and everywhere on the planet, actually!) should have solar panels for their roofing to generate their own electricity and then feed any excess back into a grid.

Can you imagine how much electricity could be gathered and saved? And all the money we could all save? All those public buildings, schools, council chambers, universities, theatres, malls ~

And, of course, the argument has always been the expense of solar panels. Which, unfortunately, has always won the argument.

Until today. :-)

Now I know you blokes are a very bright mob (otherwise you wouldn't be part of our group, right :-))

So, if you are interested in installing your own solar panels and saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars a year, do yourself and the planet a favour and check out How to make Your Own Solar Panels

I'm wrapped! What a "Bonza" Idea!

Click here NOW before you forget what the heck I'm on about

What happens When Greed is Renamed?

2009-08-18T18:11:00.003+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I had a very interesting email from a Plumber this morning and we discussed the difference between greed and competitiveness. Have a look at this video here:

Because I think the confusion caused by changing the meaning of greed to competitiveness is wrong. Greed to me is when people take more than they need or could use simply because they can. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Now I don't believe there is anything wrong with building a bit of fat into a business. Without it occassionally, no business would be able to survive. But excessive profits sort of kills-the goose-that-lays-the-golden-egg if you get my drift.

What are your thoughts?

Warmly,
Jan
www.constructingprofits.com

Commercial Real Estate

2009-08-17T18:44:00.005+10:00

Hi again folks!

As the domestic maintenance and repair market is getting more and more competitive then perhaps its time to start looking around to see where another market could be developing. I would strongly suggest to all our tradies to take a careful look around their local shopping centres / malls and see what could be done there.

There are many small retailers battling too at the moment but many of those retail spaces are leased commercial property and could well need some upkeep that hasn't been done in the past few years due to it being too hard to get a contractor to do it.

Well, now you may have the time?

Regards to all,
Jan
www.constructingprofits.com
http://www.1900allabout.com/commercialrealestatecompanies/

Hey Guys ~ You need this

2009-08-07T18:26:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone,

I know that many of you are quietly doing some internet marketing at home after a hard days work. So if you want to watch a programme that really does work and it has three times the value in freebies attached to it....I suggest you nick on over asap before they close the doors. Don't believe this pirate's lady :-) Go see for yourself!

Cheers all,

Jan

2009-08-05T19:14:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone,

Did our painters know that if they wash a house thoroughly before beginning a paint job that it could save them many hours and hours of work?

House washing in Brisbane to remove dust, mould and fungi off eaves, gutters, walls and concrete paths not only improves the look of the house immensely but for real estate valuation purposes it can add many thousands of dollars on to the value of the home.

So before our painters do their next 'tart up' job, speak to the real estate agent selling the home and get them to speak with their vendor about either washing the house first or doing both a wash and a paint job.

Hope you find this helpful,

Cheers all,

Jan

Plumbers and Gurglers

2009-07-27T18:37:00.006+10:00

Hi again guys,

I take it that you all got an email from me over the weekend? Well, here's that new website I mentioned in my email that is dedicated just for Plumbers http://www.plumbersmarketing.com/ and before some of you 'have a go at me' about why the Plumbers get their own dedicated web site, it's because some of them have asked for it and mentioned specific marketing problems that simply don't apply to your trade ~ unless of course, you are a Plumber and haven't reregistered?

Anyway, click on over if you are a plumber. It's still not too late and its still free.

Hope you all have a really great week!
Warmly,
Jan
http://www.constructingprofits.com/
PS
I know some of you are interested in the 'gee-gees' so heres a place that could be of interest to you www.1900allabout.com/horseracing

Guiding Affiliates

2009-07-25T17:26:00.004+10:00

Hi Guys,

Oh my, how time passes when you're having fun, right? I've had so many requests lately asking about affiliating marketing that I decided the best thing to do was update my blog and point you all to my http://www.assistingaffiliates.com/ website so that I don't have to answer so many individual emails. I know that many of you will understand that emailing is a very time intensive activity and as much as I love the lotta ya, I am really time short ~ just like the rest of you, I guess.

I have noticed on my walks lately that there are a lot construction contractors doing letterbox drops. These seem to be contributing to a lot of junk mail in letterboxes and so aren't being read. They are getting dumped straight into garbage bins.

If you are a construction contractor using this marketing method right now to get more work, can I suggest that you go back to your lists of previous clients and send them all a snail mail letter? I think this will be far more effective for you all.

Also, have you registered your business with Google in http://local.google.com/ Its free and important to do so. Anyone searching their blackberries for your trade in your area will find you first. It's not just blackberries but anyone searching for your trade in your area will see your business first.

That's it till next time.....don't forget to play nicely with each other now.....you never know who is going to need your services next!

Warm Regards to all,

Jan
http://www.constructingprofits.com/

Hervey Bay Website Design| Maintenance| Email Marketing - Hervey Bay

2009-07-15T11:42:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Well, it has been a long time.

Since I last blogged, I've had two operations on my right leg and moved house. So 2009 has been a year of changes. Moving back to Australia from Canada was a huge move. When I left Edmonton, Alberta on the 25th January it was minus 24. When I arrived in Sydney it was plus 26 and the Victorian bush fires were ravaging the countryside.

I returned to Australia for health reasons. I'm afraid this "Aussie Sheila" just couldn't handle the cold and my leg ached something fierce. It was so debilitating. Hat's off to the Canadians here because they sure are a hardy mob. But they can't handle heat so I guess it's 'horses for courses'. Last summer in Canada when my friend used to put the aircon on when the temp reached 15degrees amazed me ~ he couldn't handle the heat.

So I am now well on the mend and ready to get back to work instead of gallivanting around the globe having a good time. I have resettled in Torquay which is part of Hervey Bay and I'm ready to design and maintain web sites for anyone who wants one. As you can see, I have a plan and I'm after 30 websites in the Hervey Bay area. It's a case of first in, best designed and maintained

Hervey Bay Website Design Maintenance Email Marketing - Hervey Bay

I am also going to write to everyone today and start thinning down my autoresponder lists so keep an eye out for an email from me and if you haven't received yours, please go to www.constructingprofits.com or www.plumbersmarketing.org and sign up again.

Everything has got out of hand for me because I haven't been looking after things as I should have been. So a word of advice to you all....."look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" is as true an addage today as it was when first coined.

Until next time....

Warm Regards to everyone,
Jan

Constructing Profits - Australian Building News - Tag: Building and Construction - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

2009-03-10T17:13:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,
I'm back from Canada for some surgical repairs. There's no doubt about it, those Canadians sure are tough!! It was minus 23 when I left Edmonton on 25th January 2009 and 27 above on arrival in Sydney. The human body sure is a remarkable creation to be able to adapt so quickly to such wide temperature variations.

I take my hat off to our hardy Canadian members who live, work and play in such an inhospital climate now that I'm back in good old Aus. ~ It was too flaming cold to take it off while over there!

But what a miserable state the world's finances are in! I doubt there is any construction business not affected here who hasn't been slugged one way or another. Here's a bit of good news though for our NSW members who may be able to take advantage of these upcoming contracts through the NSW Govt tender pages Constructing Profits - Australian Building News - Tag: Building and Construction - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) So keep those eyes peeled and still remember to put a little bit of profit in those tender contracts.

As a good cabinetmaker used to tell me "I can go just as broke sitting under a palm tree as working to do it"

Regards to all,
Jan

Warren Zevron video compilations - By warren zevron Videos

2008-09-04T03:57:00.000+10:00

Warren Zevron video compilations - By warren zevron Videos

A range of Video Compilations to celebrate warren Zevron's life!

Your Guide to Debt and Refinancing - Mums Video

2008-08-28T12:51:00.000+10:00

Your Guide to Debt and Refinancing - Mums Video

Hi Everyone,

Are you waking up between 2 and 4AM worrying about how you are going to manage to pay this months mortgage or credit card bill? Well, you're not alone.

According to some keyword research I've done today, there are in excess of 54,000,000 all doing the same thing. Just cast your mind onto their body parts and imagine you are someones adrenaline gland....are you feeling 'just a bit' overworked? So why do we put ourselves into these horrible situations? "Your Guide to Debt & Refinancing" will help you to steer well clear of these situations in the future.

Contracting at the best of times can be 'worrisome' but it can be alleviated considerably by practising good financial management and the more you read about how to do it, the easier it will happen for you. When you know what and why you get on and do the when, where and how.

Warmly,
Jan

Environment Agency video compilations | Waste Videos

2008-08-21T08:05:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone from Canada!

Well, I finally did it and now the move is complete. I am now residing for the present in Edmonton, Canada with a lovely man and his very wonderful cat named Rascal.

But oh, the differences I'm finding! For example, did you know that here they put the roof water out into their gardens? Just so's it's away from the house the waste water from the roof's are allowed to spill away. I can't help but wonder what Canada's environmental agency is going to do about it? See some videos here
Environment Agency video compilations Waste Videos and go and have a read on waste water contaminants here http://www.mumsvideo.com/Treatment-of-Your-Waste-Water.html Perhaps it's because I haven't as yet survived a winter and am as yet totally unaware of some realities but I can't help wonder at the dreadful waste of water just being allowed to run anywhere and eventually making it's way I guess into stormwater drains somewhere......

More coming more regularly as I settle into life in Canada.

Warm Regards,
Jan
www.constructingprofits.com

Women -Only YOU Can Save The US Now! | Self Reliance Survival Systems

2008-03-27T18:19:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I've been advocating for years that we need more women doing more 'traditionally' male jobs but this is something that even I wouldn't presume to ask of any self-respecting female to take on ~ except in the direst,direst of circumstances! Women -Only YOU Can Save The US Now! Self Reliance Survival Systems and unfortunately, I think we are getting close to very dire circumstances~ so ~ any takers? LOL.....

Have a nice weekend everyone,

Warmly,

Jan

Torq Thrust Wheels Ebay video compilations | Ebay Videos

2008-03-23T08:57:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

I had an email a few days ago asking if I knew a good place to buy some spare parts for this blokes 4x4 as he was going bush to do some work. I suggested to him that he try ebay because I know that you can get some terrific buys there if you are lucky. For anyone interested in buying spare parts for a vehicle, Try this link: Torq Thrust Wheels Ebay video compilations Ebay Videos and you could be in luck.

Cheers all,
Jan

Dog Tags video compilations - Page 13 | Dog Videos

2008-03-22T10:57:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I was out shopping last week and was nearly 'run over' by an escaped dog! Yes, I know they are great watchdogs in the back of your ute to keep your tools from being stolen but you really do need to have them well-trained. Some dogs can be very very frightening to the general public and as I know that this is the type of dog you want as they certainly discourage thieves, just think about us poor sods who get bailed up! This dog luckily(for the contractor who owned him!) didn't do this to me. But then the dog then took off at high speed out of the carpark and heaven only knows where the Plumber found him ~ or even if he did!~ so I can only hope he had some good dog tags on him. Here is a good site for seeing a wide variety of available dog tags and if you scroll further you will see some excellent dog training videos. Dog Tags video compilations - Page 13 Dog Videos

If you have a frightening dog to protect your tools but the dog could do with some extra training, may I take the liberty of suggesting that you scroll through this site and get some ideas on how to train your dog? We the shopping public would appreciate it :-)

Warmly,

Jan

Funny video compilations | Funny Videos

2008-03-17T07:47:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Hope you have all had a nice restful weekend and are ready to hit the road running again today. If it is still your Sunday, here's an interesting place to enjoy for a bit. Funny video compilations Funny Videos

You know, I think humour is a bit like how some people differentiate between a good contractor and a 'so-so' contractor. Some things just work well together and others need to be avoided as much as possible. What are your thoughts on this?

The interesting thing to think on for a bit, is what type of humour best appeals to you? Are you a language person or a slapstick comedy type person or a bit of both? I've decided I'm a bit of both. Too much slapstick is boring and too much language strains my brain too much ~ and a lot of it just goes right over my head!

It could also be equivalent to explaining a technical problem to a client. Too much information (that is) too much detail and you lose their attention and too little they don't fully understand the difficulty of their problem that you are trying to fix. And they are then the ones more likely to complain about the cost! Sometimes you blokes must feel totally lost as to what to do.

Can I suggest that this is where body language comes in? Also watch their eyes. If their eyes are starting to glaze over, it's time to make it as brief as possible. If they fold their arms when listening to you it means they aren't taking anything in so it's time to 'wake them up' and start asking a few questions!

Anyway, contracting and humour do share a lot in common.

Warm Regards,

Jan

20 Beautiful HDR Pictures | Abduzeedo by design

2008-03-01T18:37:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I know that there are many of you in here who enjoy playing computer games on your computers so I've gathered a whole lot of videos together and put them in one place for you all. http://www.mumsvideo.com/play-computer-games/index.php Have fun and enjoy! You've worked hard all week and have earned the 'downtime' so enjoy it.

While I was surfing around, I came across these awesome photos shot with a medium called HDI(??) for all you photography whizzes out there and they are really beautiful so I decided to share them here with you. 20 Beautiful HDR Pictures Abduzeedo by design

Are any of you using any of the social bookmarking sites? I am and am finding them rather interesting if a bit confusing. It is estimated that in a few years search engines will be 'old hat' as more and more people are using social bookmarking sites in preference to the search engines because they are faster and many people just use them to stay in touch with their friends rather than physically surfing the net. The jury's still out but stay tuned and I'll keep you posted :-)

Have a nice weekend everyone,

Warmly,

Jan

Bernanke brings bad news to Congress - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

2008-02-28T07:15:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

This is not good news!

Bernanke brings bad news to Congress - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The thing that happened in the US is that at least they used the money to build new houses where here in Australia, the money was used to buy existing houses. What does this mean to us Aussies?

It means we have a housing shortage in our most populated cities where renters are paying extremely high rents all because houses are scarce. W didn't use the money wisely! It was a case of those who could afford investment properties bought them and now the credit squeeze is on, they expect their tenants to pay these extra high interest rates so they can keep their investment properties.

On my last visit to Sydney I took a Taxi from Lidcombe to Westmead and had a good talk to the driver. He was a new Australian with 4 kids and his English was very good. He told me how his wife worked 2 jobs, he worked 12-14 hour days and most of their money went on just paying rent on a 3-bedroom home. Without the help of his mother-in-law, basically they would have been out on the street.

I'm sure he's not "Robinson Crusoe" and there are many in a similiar predicament. The real question that should be asked here is "Where is this going to end?"

I sure hope I'm wrong~

Regards,

Jan

Building Contractors video compilations - By Building Contractors Videos

2008-02-23T10:07:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone!

Well, here it is the weekend again. So the question has to be ~ How did you do this past week? Were you run off your feet or did you have time to scratch your backside? If it was the later, perhaps there are some videos in here that will give you some ideas for the coming week/months. Building Contractors video compilations - By Building Contractors Videos

This sub-prime mortgage mess hasn't yet hit much here in Australia. Yes, some of the over leveraged, over-priced, under-resourced shopping centre projects like Centro have hit the wall AND put a lot of other smaller contractors in hard times but if there was any contractor who had just them as a client, then you can bet they are probably out looking for a job this week. So, how precarious is your business? If you deal with just 1 major client, how 'safe' are they? I have always suggested you have more than 1 client. It doesn't make sense to put all your eggs in 1 basket.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Warmly,

Jan

Why is it often Mums who have to call a Plumber?

2008-02-21T06:16:00.003+10:00

Hello Everyone,
So many phone calls to Plumbers come from Mums! Why is this so? Is it because they are supposed to have more time to do these jobs or is it because the 'man of the house' hates to admit he has a problem he can't fix? I often suspect it's the later. Somehow, mums seem much more capable of getting the attention of a Plumber quicker than men do. Does this indicate that our Plumbers are more 'woman' focused. Quite likely ~ they are often very gentlemanly and feel more comfortable dealing with a woman who has a problem and needs it fixed ASAP. Either way, a good idea for Plumbers advertising could be to make their YP ad stand out more to women if maintenance is the basis of their business.

This also could apply to all tradespeople who's business is maintenance focused as it is more often the women who make the initial inquiry.

If you are looking for some interesting video clips on other Plumbers, go to http://www.plumbersmarketing.org/ or if you want to see some Building Contractor videos, go to www.constructingprofits.com/videos. They provide some good insight both for the home handyman and professional tradespeople.

Warmly,
Jan

Laugh a little each day

2008-02-17T14:18:00.002+10:00

Hi Everyone,
Yes, life has to be taken a bit seriously but a laugh every now and then helps us cope with most days! And if you think you have a bad day every now and then, just remember how the chickens must feel!

Enjoy your weekend,
Warmly,
Jan

Has this happened to you lately?

2008-02-14T21:55:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Every now and then we all seem to come across those who love to taunt us. And what hurts most, is that it's often at a time when we already feel stupid enough, right? Have a look at this photo that a friend sent to us and please have a heart for these poor blokes!

They are just cleaning up so how long do you reckon it will take them to realise where they have parked their vehicle? Poor blighters! Have a heart fellas ~ there but for the grace of God goes us.

Enjoy! (It's always good, isn't it, to know we are not the only ones :-)

Warmly,

Jan

http://www.constructingprofits.com/

Plumbers video compilations | Plumbers Videos

2008-02-11T18:42:00.000+10:00

Plumbers video compilations | Plumbers Videos

Hey everyone,

Look what I've found! Plumbers hard at work ~ again. Are any of our Plumbing contractors in these? If you are featured, can you please comment on this blog and let us know?

I have said for some time now that I reckoned video was going to be big so if you have any tips for those DIY guys, now would be a good time to make a video showing them how it's done. Then you can get the call on Monday to come and fix the job up for them!

Just drumming up a bit of work for you all :-)

Cheers,
Jan

Building Contractors Ideas for Home Renovations

2008-02-11T17:39:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

When space is a problem in a house, these pre-built wardrobes can be a really great space saver. Next time you have a customer who is looking for ways to save space and money, why not offer these to them?

They'll love you forever and best of all ~ they'll remember you! With this recession we are now into, customer retention is what will save you and your contracting business a lot of money and sleepless nights of worry.

Warmly,
Jan
http://www.constructingprofits.com/

Constructing Profits - Australian Building News - Tag: Building and Construction - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

2008-02-10T09:55:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Our new website is now up and running. As you can see, there have been a lot of changes. I have done this to keep you all up to date on what's happening around the world with housing. If we are to survive this recession, we HAVE TO stay up-to-date. What happens globally will now impact our countries because we are a global ecconomy. Now all we have to do is get our politicians to take this more into account. But somehow, I feel that the next 2 years will bring that lesson home to all of us. As I've suggested before, prepare your businesses for lean times.

I don't believe too much will happen in 2008 apart from a 'slow slide' into the doldrums but 2009 after the US elections, and when the new President is sworn into office, it's then I think the bite will come hard and fast.

It is sooo frustrating watching these US primaries and knowing who I would prefer to win but not being able to do anything about it. I can only implore our US readers to make sure they ~ and everyone else they know ~ gets out and votes! Vote for whomever you prefer but please get out there and vote or else you stick the rest of the world with another egotistical and incompetent President. Please realise that YOUR President affects all of us. WE beg you to be a responsibe citizen please and get out there and vote.

Housing figures have slumped around the world so remember that every other building contractor in your area is going to be fighting for the same jobs you are. Look after your existing customer base because they are your survival raft for the coming hard times.

That's it for today folks so go take a look and remember to add your comments to this blog. We would all like to know what you think. Am I wrong? I would really like to be!

Warmly,

Jan

Global economy facing slower growth: G7 ministers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

2008-02-09T17:49:00.000+10:00

Global economy facing slower growth: G7 ministers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Hello Everyone,

I know its been awhile but I'm back now! I have two new knees to my credit, am painfree for the first time in years and I'm really ready with a 'game plan' for 2008. Are You? I hope so because I believe it's going to be a time to batten down the hatches and haul spending in.

But I believe it's going to be a particulary bad time for the Building Industry because there won't be much work around and everyone will be fighting for what there is.

Now is the time like never before to look after your exisiting customer base like you never have before. Good customer retention skills will now be proven like never before. With a good customer base you will be able to weather (pun intended) this storm that is about to break over our heads.

As you can see from our new website, I have changed quite a bit about it. I've done this because I'm too busy to keep up with all the emails to everyone so I'm hoping you understand that there will now only be the occassional one from me. But I will be 'blogging' urgent updates or news items to you several times a week and/or as and when I find them and if there is anything URGENT I will send out a broadcast to you all.

If there is anything that you would like me to find for you that is a good service or product, please let me know. I have tried to think of as much as possible that could be useful to you all, like VistaPrint for example. I have used them now since 1997 and am always a very satisfied customer.

As for the eBay misspelling tool, I used it a couple of years ago to buy my daughter's birthday present. She got a natural emerald and austrian crystal bracelet and I only had to pay $9:99 plus postage. She thought I was terrific!! I do recommend using it because everyone who has diamonds or gold to spell forget to check for typos. And their listing goes into a big black hole never to be found UNLESS you use the tool. And it's free to use.

Warm Regards everyone,

Jan
www.constructingprofits.com

Pay PerPlay (PPP)

2007-12-15T14:08:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Pay Per Play now better known as PPP, is starting to catch fire! The forums (that I subscribe to, anyway) are all talking about it and the advantages/disadvantages of where and how it can/should be used.

Will it benefit the majority of web publishers, yes, I believe it will IF used with discretion.

Like everything, moderation in all things is still a good rule to apply.

Have fun and go and have alook for yourself to see if it will be something that will suit your website/s. Here's the link:

http://www.makejanhappy.com/

Warmly,
Jan ~ http://www.constructingprofits.com/

Technology to challenge Google Supremacy has Arrived

2007-12-10T07:30:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Google has held first position in the Internet Advertising position now for so long that it was always only ever going to be a matter of time until someone came up with the technology to challenge them. This technology will arrive 1st February, 2008. See what it's all about here: The Pay Per Play Opportunity

It is now in beta phase and has been working extremely well for the past 12-18 months prior to the relase date in February. If you have any kind of website floating around in cyberspace not earning you any money then this could be your answer. And if you are earning a 'bit' now, this will monetise EVERY visitor.

I recommend you go take a look today.

Warmly,
Jan
www.constructingprofits.com

Bush Subprime Plan - Forbes.com

2007-12-07T18:21:00.000+10:00

Hi Folks,

This subprime mortgage rate problem shows no sign of going away anytime soon. But mark my words, I believe G "Dubbya" would give his right 'what's it' to make it so

Wall Street Likes Bush Subprime Plan - Forbes.com

I suggest to all our members it is probably a real good time to start battening down the hatches and making some decisions to reposition their constructing contract businesses

I wish it looked like a better outcome but I suggest the really hard times are about 14 months off.

What do you think?

Warmly,

Jan

Updated Our Website and want your Comments please?

2007-12-07T13:33:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I've just updated our website and added some very helpful resources in there for you. If you live in the US or Canada, these will save you so much money you will be able to get extra staff to help you with your over-burdened life :-) Arh geez, life's crook, hey? But who wants to spend more on a car or truck than what you absolutely have to? Have a look here:

If you have a mate who you think could be interested in improving their construction contracting business then please send them to our site http://www.constructingprofits.com/

Warmly,

Jan

Building industry warned to be sun smart or face claims | Herald Sun

2007-11-21T09:18:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I haven't 'fallen off my Twig' yet even though I have been absent for some time. You see, I've become a "Bionic Woman" with a new knee. I've just had a recent total knee replacement and it has worked a real treat. I go in again next month to have the left knee replaced so then I will really be able to upset the security guys at airports! Fair dink, all that metal in my knee sends the screener beeping like crazy! Now I have to allow plenty of time each time I travel to allow for all the disrobing of bracelets, shoes, belts etc for security screening. Oh well, a small price to pay for freedom from pain. :-0

Speaking of which, please read this article as it will affect you whether you are a business owner, 'subbie' or project manager Building industry warned to be sun smart or face claims Herald Sun

Take great care everyone,

Warmly,

Jan

This would make for a very interesting 'bog-stop'!

2007-08-17T17:14:00.000+10:00

Neatorama » Blog Archive » Fisn ‘n Flush: Aquarium Toilet

Hello everyone,

Yep ~ I know! Long time no post. That's because I've been travelling and seeing some fascinating building methods. More on that later.

Just came across this nifty pice and thought that there may be some Plumbers and or suppliers in our group who could be making some nice little cash out of this idea.

Lets face it, it would certainly make going to the 'loo a very different experience.

Warmly,
Jan~ConstructingProfits.com
www.constructingprofits.com

First Video for Building Contractors

2007-06-26T15:36:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

It's been a long time coming but it's finally here. Want to know what the catalyst was? Then have a listen :-)

Warmly,
Jan ~ConstructingProfits
http://www.constructingprofits.com/

I can't believe how fast time is passing

2007-06-18T17:12:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Isn't this year flying by? I hope you all have everything up to date ready for the ATO at the end of this month? :-)

I've been doing some videoing and I just thought you might like to see the latest?

Cheers for now,

Jan
PS

If you feel the urge to add a comment ~ please don't fight it :-) I need all the comments/ratings possible please?

Construction jobs still strong, despite home building crash - May. 31, 2007

2007-06-01T18:36:00.000+10:00

Construction jobs still strong, despite home building crash - May. 31, 2007

Hi Everyone,

I hope you have all had a good week. For my part, it's been interesting. I've put up a few (4) videos of so-so quality but everyone has to start from somewhere, right? :-)

As you all know, the only way to get something done is to get in there and do it.

I found this today for you and even though the page is slow loading (yep, I really dislike this site too) but the problem is, it's one of the best for the latest news in several areas, including ours, so I've got to go there. Once you have downloaded it, you might as well make the most from it and check out Microsoft's latest computer release.

I think they're trying to put our cabinetmakers out of work! But at that price, I reckon they'll have a few years before it becomes a problem.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Warmly,
Jan
www.constructingprofits.com

Learning Koala Bear Style!

2007-05-31T19:53:00.000+10:00

Now I know how to do it, I'll soon have one ready for all you guys! In the meantime, don't forget a new batch of free tirles will soon be up on www.Books-that-Talk.com as tomorrow is the first of June! Half the years gone!

Warmly,

Jan ~Constructingprofits

www.constructingprofits.com

A so-so Seminar

2007-05-29T10:36:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever been to a seminar that you had great expectations of learning something new from, only to find yourself falling asleep mid-morning? Well, that was what happened to me last weekend so I left the seminar and went shoppping instead. Very disappointing.

On the upside though, it did rain so that was something a bit different for Australia these days.

There is a new search engine Portal that could be of interest to those of you who have a website and are interested in a bit more exposure. Go here to register: http://www.zevarti.com/add.cgi
and its free to do so.

Talk again soon,

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Have you ever thought about how Taps are made?

2007-05-23T09:09:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

As you all probably know from my last email, this week I'm working on my video projects. It's a very busy week this week ~ I have the Alstonville Rotary Club and Southern Cross University/Newcastle University Science and Engineering Challenge on tomorrow then Friday it's up to Brisbane for a weekend seminar.

I try to combine these seminars with meetings so the whole time is really 'full on'.

Anyway, when I was surfing for video sites, I came across this terrific video of how Taps are made. I'd never really thought about it before, but I found it interesting and hope you all do too.

I'll post it at the end,

Warmly,
Jan - ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Disco Ball

2007-05-20T18:58:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know much about Disco Balls? Are they very hard to erect/install and do they always have to be taken down at the end of the 'do' or can they be left in place for next time?

The other concern these people have is the weight. Are they heavy and are there any special installation requirements? What about electrical requirements? Any special wattage/voltage needed?

Ideas and info please?

Warmly,

Jan

I just had to blog this!

2007-05-18T16:25:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all have had a good week. Mine's been "&%$^#@" AWFUL. It all started with a computer upgrade and ended with weeks and weeks of extra work for me to do because I lost everything bar my documents folder. What a disgraceful nuisance and COSTLY muck-up. I spent just on a thousand dollars and ended up with a system that didn't work! Not only didn't work, but empty of all the stuff I use regularly. Then he had the gall to infer it was my fault for wanting a faster system and I was hard to please!!!! Blimey ~ I wonder why?

Please note that I am trying to be a lady and not blog how mad I am! I'm still so flamming cranky and upset over this everytime I have to go back and reload programmes, redo logins, download links ~ I fear that I will never get some of these programmes back that I had bought and put 'on hold' to learn or use at a later date. Frankly, its been a right-royal "cockup".

And guess what? He's one contractor who'll never be allowed again within a "cooee" of my systems.

But let's look at all the things he did wrong dispassionately:

1. He didn't have the required expertise and didn't let the client know. He tried bluffing his way through.

Suggestion: Very rarely works ~ Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy.

2. When the job went 'belly up' he should have contacted the client and asked for directions.

Suggestion: Instead of trying to cover up the job, he should have contacted the client immediately for further directions instead of making a bad situation worse. There was a point of no-return and he crossed it without authorisation. Never be afraid of 'losing face' if you make an error. It's a whole lot worse if you go 'gung-ho' and a darn sight harder to fix. The problem doesn't go away ~ it grows!

3. If the client's unhappy ~ walk backwards to try to fix the problem instead of inferring that the problem is theirs! If the client hasn't got what they paid for or thought they were going to have, then find out nicely what they were expecting and look for ways to rectify the situation.

Suggestion: Communicate with the client at all steps. Walk them with you honestly. That way they stay informed and you don't get 'bad mouthed' or called back ~ or both.

4. If you can't do something, or haven't done something like it before or just plain don't know how~ Tell the client so! Don't bluff.

Suggestion: People respect people ~ especially tradespeople ~ who are straight up honest. There is absolutely no shame in not knowing how to do something. Offer a solution in the form of a workmate who does know. Networking is a great standin for these situations.

But there's shame and blame when you ruin a work project or upset people's lives through being too egostistical and big-headed to admit uncertainty and lack of knowledge.

Learning is an ongoing process in life and it's up to each of us to learn. Believe me, it's a darn sight cheaper all round if you don't learn from mistakes. Especially when those mistakes cost someone else. Why should someone else pay for your learning?

Well, I'd better get back and continue to download some of the programmes I've noted still aren't there. Then after downloading and getting the registration keys to unlock them, then I have to redo all my login information ~~~~ GRRRRRRRR.........

But on the upside ~ Tomorrow morning I'm taking time-out to give the "Sallies" a hand with their annual door knock appeal. So when one of the volunteers rings your bell ~ be nice and empty your coin jar for them :-) ~ It's a good cause and helps people to help themselves get back on their feet again.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

PS
This wouldn't have been such a major disaster if I had done backups regularly. So part of this disaster is of my own making. If I had been doing regular backups, then I wouldn't have lost so much. So backup, backup and then BACKUP your systems several times a week. And have alternate disks because they can fail too.

PPS
But he should have known and done a complete systems backup as a precaution before he even opened up the computer. After all, I was paying for his expertise.

Discover when to bare it

2007-05-16T16:30:00.000+10:00

I simply can’t bear being asked to bare with you any longer without saying something. We all have our ‘pet peeves’ and these two are laid bare more frequently than most people are aware of.

I read a lot of documents, especially EBooks, and the number of times I’m absorbed in the information and then they ask me to ‘bare’ with them. I don’t mean they show all, I mean they are talking about bearing with them.

If I could, I might but I simply cannot. Not only because they are too far away (even though many webcams these days are doing just that rather frequently, I might add) but I simply can’t bear the misspellings.

I mean, if any of my contractors wrote to their clients talking about a load baring beam I doubt many husbands would leave their wives at home all day with them.

So please bear with me while I add the concise Oxford Dictionary 1964 meaning to the two words so we are clear about what this article is all about ~ apart from my gripe. Yes it is an old dictionary but it has stood the test of the English language over the decades.

By understanding the basics of the English language, it allows the language to expand as it has done over the years.

We have no confusion whatsoever over the Bear animal. Nobody sticks around long enough when they are on the scene to bare anything.

Another bear is a word with four major differences of meaning and within those four groups are another assortment of meanings; but here we are concerned with ‘bear (2) ~ Sustain (weight, responsibility, cost; bear a part in, share); stand (test etc.)endure (grin and bear it) Tolerate, put up with(cannot bear him),whence bearable a.; be capable of upholding weight (ice bears); be fit for(his language won’t bear repeating); bear with, treat forbearingly; bear up, (trans.) uphold, (intro.) not despair; borne on the books of, paid by.

The other bare is defined as “unclothed, undisguised, uncovered, bald, unfurnished, unprotected, threadbare, unsheathed, ill-provided, empty, unadorned, scanty, mere;” ~ and we won’t worry too much about whether the meaning is a noun, adverb or whatever at this point.

Once understanding the difference in meaning of two totally different words, spelt differently but both pronounced the same way yet have widely different meanings and outcomes, you can see why I always suggest to my contractors that they spell THAT particular word with great care. As I said previously, no right thinking husband is going to leave their wife at home with a man who is working with a load ‘baring’ beam.

So next time you want your readers to bear with you on details in your EBook, please don’t ask them to bare with you. Your partner wouldn’t like it, your spell-checker rarely picks it up and it’s simply not possible. Besides, your Mother probably wouldn’t approve either.

A Very funny Video

2007-05-06T13:52:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Life sure has some funny moments! I've been busy this week doing up my www.DrWho-Audio.com website and I came across this very funny video I thought may appeal to some Dr Who fans. Worth a squizz anyway, even if you aren't a 'nerdy Who fan' ~it's a short 'un......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUdanpkX_9o&mode=related&search=

Wouldn't you all love a sonic screwdriver? Just think how much they would save!

Anyway, if you ever have to take the kids with you to a jobsite, you might like to have some kids audio books on hand to keep them occupied. They are here and are geared towards the under 12's www.Kids-Story-Books.com and should keep them occupied for a bit.

Have fun and a very profitable week.

Warmly,

Jan
www.constructingprofits.com

Talking Dog

2007-04-23T14:15:00.000+10:00

Talking Dog

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if your dog ever tells you that he loves you too ...LOL...just a bit of fun!

Now, this info is for those who already have a website. Have you tried using Traffic Exchange's as a promotional tool? There are many of them out there, some of which are better than others. Just type in traffic exchange programmes into Google and see what comes up. I have heard good reports on Traffic Swarm and a couple of others so they could be worth checking out. Some people say they are terrific while others say they haven't worked for them so I suggest you try them for yourselves. I haven't yet used any so I'm not able to give an opinion one way or the other. I will be trying them out in a month or two so I'll be able to give you an opinion then.

Cheers,
Jan - ConstructingProfits.com
www.constructingprofits.com

A Laugh a day Leads Plumbers Astray!

2007-04-19T07:49:00.000+10:00

Children's Science Exam
If you need a laugh, then read through these Children's Science Exam Answers.
Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour? (Brilliant, love this !)
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A: Premature death.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g., abdomen.)
A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O and U.

Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie.

Q: What does "varicose" mean?
A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section"
A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome.

OK Folks ~ Back to work!

Warmly,
Jan - ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Something for Everyone

2007-04-17T11:37:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

A couple of interesting things have happened in the last few days.

One is the emergence of more social bookmarking sites. I will keep you updated via email about these but they are social bookmarking sites that are truly different ~ and will be very beneficial to anyone of you who already has a website up and running. So, stay toooned, as our friend Walt used to say.

Next is this site where there is something for everyone ~ yes~ even your 'better half's' who are the ones who normally work so hard beside you :-) And the good news for everyone? It's another freebie http://tinyurl.com/26tb7l so off you go and start downloading. This offer probably won't last forever so suggest you don't put it too far on the back burner. Cody Moya is one of the good guys and if you don't believe me ~ Google him!

Don't you just love Google? These days, anything I want to know I just Google for. That way I don't have to get out the reading glasses or magnifying glass. Old age, huh? But the alternative is worse, so they say~

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

GreenPlumbers - rain water tanks solar hot water grey water energy efficient Green Plumbers plumbing training Australia

2007-04-16T07:02:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I trust you have all had a good weekend with time 'off'.' Everyone needs it and you are no exception!

As the world's water crises deepens, more and more people are going to be trying to 'do-their-bit' by using the services of an expert Plumber trained and certified in environmentally friendly plumbing practices. So, have you done your course yet? Why not? Below is the link to sign up now:

GreenPlumbers - rain water tanks solar hot water grey water energy efficient Green Plumbers plumbing training Australia

What you all need to know is that these guys will also give you leads as people phone in requesting the services of a green plumber. But what you NEED to know, is that these leads are not for the single plumber working in his own business. I recently spoke with them and asked why. The answer lies in the fact of ability to service. You see, there are so many leads (job requests) coming in, that in order to maintain quality of service, these leads are only given out to those businesses who have a couple of Plumbers (or more) operating in their businesses and have the capability of servicing these leads.

The other thing you need to be aware of, is that to use their 'green plumber' logo at this time is not cheap at $5,500.

But the GOOD NEWS, is that these people are doing something about the cost to use a logo for all CERTIFIED and APPROVED Plumbers who have completed a module of the course. So stay tuned and get approved ASAP.

Warmly,

Jan- ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

NoAdware Software Blog

2007-04-10T09:48:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I trust you all had a 'work-free' and safe Easter break. No doubt there were probably a few emergency calls (like when is there never? :-)) but I hope you spent as little time on them as possible and will go back to complete the emergency jobs this week.

Everyone deserves a break ~ yes, especially YOU.

You see, I know how hard you blokes work. And I know how often your families miss having you around. Over the years, I've listened to many wife's / partners lament the amount of time that you spend at work. Your families love you and need you - not just the money you provide for a nice lifestyle, but ~ believe it or not ~ they actually ENJOY your company.

Now for those of you who actually use your computers more than the average "tradie" ~ of for anyone actually reading this blog because it means you are connected to the Internet and you AND your computer should be protected against EVIL.

This NOADWARE software is one that I have heard good reports about from my computer guru and he recommends trialing it. Go to this blog now for the tips 'n tricks to keep you and yours safe ~ and grab your copy of the software. It may, just may, save you big mobs of downtime.

NoAdware Software Blog

Have a great week everyone!

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Welcome to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme

2007-04-07T09:29:00.000+10:00

Hi Again everyone ~

I have just had this site recommended to me as being an excellent service. I was wondering if you all knew about it and if you are actually making the most benefit you could from it?
Welcome to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme Unfortunately, this particular scheme only applies to residents of NSW Australia.

Perhaps there is something similiar in your part of the world?

Regards,
Jan -ConstructingProfits

Why not get Paid for Something You're already doing?

2007-04-07T08:03:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Easter Saturday already...hasn't it come around FAST? I hope you all have a very happy and safe Easter break. Happy Easter to you all.

If you surfed here you would have had to have used a search bar. No matter what you want to find on the Internet you have to use a search bar from someone....so why not use one that will Pay YOU and right now will not cost you one red cent?

Check it out here www.agloco.com/r/BBBB3670

The other night at Rotary, I came across something new. On the bar (OK, so I enjoy a drink :-)) they had bar 'towels' that had local businesses names on the towel. You all know those 'funny' sort of non-slip, rubber-backed type towels? They stood out like the proverbial dogs hind leg and would have been inexpensive to have made. I thought they were a terrific idea and one I should be mentioning to you. Why not talk to some other friendly tradies in your area and do some together?

Have a happy Easter everyone,

Warmly,
Jan - ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Constructing Profits.com Advertising in Other Mediums Page

2007-04-05T07:36:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Let me start by asking you a queer question? Do you ever surprise yourself? I do and just have.

You see, sometimes we get so far away from what we've done in the past that when you see it again and then realise that it was you who did it, you surprise yourself. Every day I get a Google report on a search for my name or one of my websites. I instigated this terrific Google search function because I wanted to know where my articles were being published. And some kind soul in his wisdom :-) has found this article on our website and decided to publish it on his website. Have you actually read it? You should you know because it's full of 'good stuff' that YOU need to know. Constructing Profits.com Advertising in Other Mediums Page

Have you checked this month's 'freebies' out on www.Books-that-Talk.com yet? This month I put in a HEAP of $2 - $5 reports that will help you all to grow your Trade Businesses. These are audio books that you can download to CD, MP3 or iPods so you can listen to them on the job or in the car when travelling between jobs. It's all meaty pertinent information that will help you to grow your businesses.

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

How do YOU Plan your Promotional Material?

2007-03-29T11:50:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

It seems like Yonks since I last posted ~ probably because it has been. Ummm...what can I say? Just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about you all. Or answering emails. But truth to tell, I keep running out of time.

Now to business:

When you are thinking of ways to advertise your services, what do you think about? How do you think your target market thinks? If you don't think like your customers, chances are you probably won't reach your new customers. You see, the people who all use your services have some common reason to all of them as to why they chose you. Put yourself in your customers shoes and see if you find that reason.

It could be because you were recommended (W.o.M) which is the best advertising you can get but is there another reason too? If it is more than great service, it could be because your receptionist has a friendly approach to your customers....it could be any number of reasons ~ and a combination of several ~ but if you don't talk to your customers and actually ASK them, then you will never be 100% sure.

Be kind to yourself and really chat with your customers. It pays you to do so.

Warmly,
Jan -ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

How a Plumber can Secure Customers by Using Good Telephone Manners

2007-02-20T17:10:00.000+10:00

Social graces make everyone feel good and make for a much more pleasant and profitable working environment for everyone. So, what has happened to good manners?

Or even what constitutes good manners? Well mannered people are few and far between today and are often remarked upon kindly when found. I think good manners is showing respect and caring for those around you but this is, of course, open to debate. The thing I think we could all agree on though is that we all feel good for having met them.

Whether we meet them in person or on the end of a phone, we seem to feel better for coming across them. And when people come across them because they have called a Plumber because they have a problem and that Plumber treats them with respect and understanding, it's not
too hard to guess who gets a big tick in the Yellow Pages where they have most likely been found.

These callers have a problem and they want the problem fixed as soon as possible AND they want the person on the end of the phone to sound as if they actually cared about their problem.
Believe it or not, but if the person answering their call for help sounds as if they really care, this is often enough for that Plumber to get the job ~ providing of course, that they can fix the problem ASAP.

If they can't come immediately or in the next 24 hours but then offers the caller an alternative Plumber to call, people remember that help and the next time they have a problem, they will call the first plumber back first.

Why? Because the first Plumber was helpful and they have put a big tick against that Plumber in the Yellow Pages book where they most likely got his name from in the first place. This is another reason why it's good to work with other Plumbers in your area. You all run your own Businesses as usual but you have made a deal with each other to be a point of referal for each other. This way you can be sure that when you recommend another Plumber to do an urgent job you can be certain of the level of expertise you are offering to your caller.

The ten things a Plumbing Contracting business can do to secure work
from phone calls are:

1) Sound friendly and caring

2) Answer all phone calls with a smile as this can be heard in your voice by the caller

3) Ask all the necessary questions in a friendly and caring manner to assess the urgency of the problem

4) If problem is not O.H & S related, give a time-frame in which a Plumber can be there.

5) If problem is O.H&S related, drop everything to attend immediately. There really are some problems that simply can't wait.

6) If the Plumber can't drop everything and go, recommend one or two other Plumbers that you have 'done a deal with' to call and remind the caller with the problem to call you back if unable to get someone immediately.

7) Don't let the caller hang-up without knowing that you are prepared to be a 'back-stop' if necessary

8) If the call is not O.H.&S related ask for as many details over the phone as possible so you take the right equipment / information products with you when you go to do the quote. If the caller is after a quote on a job that involves some new installations and you are a dealer in those products, this is a great opportunity to present your products as a value ad to your plumbing business. Also don't forget to get the caller's postcode when collecting job details. You can then use this postcode for marketing purposes and it lets you know where your ustomers are
coming from.

9) Always have the right equipment with you when asked to do a quote. If measurements will need to be taken, make sure you always use a tape measure. By getting all the right information off the initial phone call first, makes you look professional and safe enough to use if a well-manicured lawn has to be dug-up.

10) Always call the customer if you are going to be late for an appointment and always Smile, smile and smile again. Never lose the smile or caring in your voice because if you do, you will lose customers.

And we all know a Plumber works too darn hard to lose customers through bad phone manners.

So what does your Telephone manner say about you? Would you like to get someone just like you on the end of a phone call? If you answered "Yes" then so would we all like to call you. And if you are a Plumber, can I please have your number?

I hope this article is of interest to you and if you ever have a question, please email me to let me know. The only silly question is the one you never ask!

Here's the link to my first video effort:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1891703052

I just wanted to let you know that I'm getting closer to my goal ~ are you too?

Warmly,
Jan - ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Check this out!

2007-02-10T18:18:00.000+10:00

This Device cannot Start You on your Listening Journey.... - But Audio Books FREE Download Pages to your CD, MP3 or iPod can!
Hi Everyone,

I have spent today updating www.books-that-talk.com and there are heaps of specials in there for you to choose from.

I have put many special offers in there related to marketing so you will no doubt only be left with the decision as to which ones to choose!

Let me know what you think of the photos too? My friend Lynn Shearer who is a "walk-about" artist and he took them on last years sojourn through the Simpson desert to Central Australia and all about on 'walk-about'.

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Recommended Teleseminar!

2007-02-09T05:48:00.000+10:00

Hudson, Ink - Teleseminar!

Hi Everyone,

I thoroughly recommend that if you possibly can, this would be an excellent teleseminar for you to attend. As many of you know, I attend many conferences, seminars and several webinars each and every week.

I do this because I always manage to learn something new. I find the information from these webinars is worth the internatiional call costs. And to all my wonderful cynical contractors out there ~ I don't have shares in Telstra, Optus, Skype or VoIP :-) ~ Just thought I'd get that in first before you have a go at me!

Seriously, I think many of you will learn heaps from this call. If you are concerned about the costs, I got my phone bill yesterday and I have been on 3x2hour seminars in the past 3 weeks and the highest cost I was charged for one call was AUD$15:00, so it was cheap learning, believe me. It would be even cheaper if I had used my Skype connection though. The only reason I didn't use it was because my computer had a bad case of the hiccups this week and spat the dummy.

This week I'm in the process of updating our site and putting up some video along with a HUGE list of marketing resource information for you to choose from so be sure to keep an eye out for the changes.

Also later this week I will get the coupon code out to you all via an email for this months audio book discount from www.books-that-talk.com and I will make the discount applicable for whatever type of audio book that you choose to use it for. You might have a child who's birthday is coming up and there's some really great kids story books in there and you could make it so the child understands that every time they listen to the story, it's from you so it may help counteract for some of the time that you have to spend away from them. A placebo, I know, but it would still be a connection for your child to you. I know that you have to spend a lot of precious time away from the kids and family because you are working hard to earn a good living for them all. More Kudos to you guys and I'm just trying to help.

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

Amaze'N' Place

2007-01-21T12:09:00.000+10:00

G'Day Everyone,
Last week at Rotary our meeting was at the most Amaze 'N' Place. Here's the website www.amaze-n-place.com.au for you to check out for yourself. I had no idea that a maze was based on Maths, did you? Mazes are apparently based on either the left or the right hand principle. That is, if you keep your left hand attached to the side of the maze, you will get through. Ditto if its a right hand maze.

But 'just to make Rik's maze' more interesting, he's put gates in so that the maze changes. Talk about a clever man! And guess what folks? In a previous life he was a Locksmith so to all our 'Lockies" out there, you have some extremely interesting people in your trade, hey?

And not to overlook our Landscapers/Gardeners ~ check out the plants Rik has propogated and grown to form this Amaze'N'Place? Patience has definitely been a requirement to get this project off the ground. And determination. As well as sticking to his dream, he's worked it consistently and determindedly for many years before it became a reality for us all to share.

So next time you are in the Northern Rivers area at Alstonville, make it a "Must See" on your visit.

Have you downloaded your free audio books yet for this month? If not and you don't hurry, they will be changing again at the end of this month. Every month there will be a new 'freebie' up there for you blokes. I will also be adding a coupon system for exceptional discounts to all www.constructingprofits.com members. Obviously, they will be audio books on marketing for you to get access to information that you can use.

To download your freebie go to www.books-that-talk.spokennetwork.com and click on the freebies section. To date, there are a few hundred thousand books in there. On last weeks webinar there are another few hundred to be uploaded this week so make sure you bookmark that site.

Hey! It's a bit more useful than listening to a radio talkback programme all the time :-)

Warmly,
Jan-Constructingprofits

New Product that sounds Promising

2007-01-09T11:43:00.000+10:00

Aerofoam Metals Inc
Hi Everyone,

This came across my screen this morning and I thought it sounded very interesting! I've been saying for years that we have to learn to build differently. By that I mean more environmentally friendly and much, much cheaper.

What are your thoughts? Post your comments to this blogsite and lets get a discussion going!

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

A New Year, a New Beginning

2007-01-08T09:27:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone & Happy 2007 to All,

It has been a long time since I blogged but I have learnt a lot again. I hope this photo of the fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge comes out OK for you. It was freezing cold that night while waiting for the show to start ~ so bad in fact that my son's Friend, David Ting, had to go back to the car and get a rug to wrap me up in! He was a very kind fellow and an excellent photographer as you can see from this photo. David Ting is his name and Landscaping is his game. His business is "The Garden Guide" and his website is www.thegardenguide.com.au and I can recommend him highly. So if there is anyone in the Sydney area looking for a great landscaper ~ give him a call on 0418211216

This year will be very different to last year.

I will not be blogging so regularly nor will I be emailing you weekly but rather will only be contacting you when I have something to share that I think will benefit you. LOL~ so it will probably still be weekly. Anyway, if you haven't heard from me for a bit you will know that I have my head down and "whats-it" in the air working hard. But in the long-term, we will all benefit so please be patient with me.

While I was away, I saw something that made me feel very proud. I saw an electrical contractor stop and pick up some rubbish off a busy street that was likely to cause a traffic accident. How good's that, hey? Now that is what I call great service. No wonder he's got so much work he doesn't need me to help. I couldn't have offered better advice to this bloke even if he was one of us.

So stay 'tooned' and keep busy.

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

The importance of time

2006-11-30T05:59:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

It feels like ages and ages since I did my last post. Perhaps that has as much to do with the amount I've been learning as much as the passing of time.

I did my first video excursion last weekend and the result was ~ in watching what I had shot, I nearly got sea-sick from all the movement. It was terrible! So, more practice needed along with a lot of timely tips from experts.

Learning has to start somewhere and is NEVER a waste of time. What is a waste of time is doing something and never taking the time to do it properly. So, watch this space for the 'adventures of...."

The reason I called this post 'the importance of time' is because I've just been reading my favourite newsletters and one from Adam Hudson discussed a changing phenomenum in the home market DIY'ers.

That is, the DIY market has fallen off for big hardware retailers. This is because those who used to be the DIY'ers are now preferring to pay contractors to do the work to save time! They have the money now to pay a contractor to do the work and are preferring to swap money for time.

So, the world changes with every turn.

He advises not to concentrate on price or length time of being in business because people just don't care. They have a problem and they want it solved now.

He says that the Contracting Business who offers the most efficient service as a problem solver will be the winning business every time.

Are you finding this now too? Interesting, huh?

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

End Result of DIYer's?

2006-11-14T06:42:00.000+10:00

» Google Cash Update Burned
Hi Everyone,

We all know that some DIY'ers can a be a "pain-in-the-proverbial" and cause lot's of trouble for qualified Tradies. But even worse problems can be caused when the Owner-Builder sells a house that hasn't had qualified Tradespeople do the work. Is this another of those cases? I'd say so ~ wouldn't you say it was a likely possibility?

So if a 'mate' ever asks you to sign off on anything ~ forget it! He's just proven to you that he doesn't really care about your well-being because he's just asked you to put your financial life at risk. And your family's. Tell whoever does that to take a long walk off a short plank.

Warmly (Oops! better make this 'Kewly') :-)
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com